The Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH) has received two new grants totaling over $1.7 million that will enable NH’s community colleges to continue upskilling employees through Registered Apprenticeships in key growth sectors through 2022. Funding of over $1.3 million from the U.S Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship State Expansion program and over $400,000 from the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor will enable the program to enroll an additional 450 apprentices and continue to build capacity for this pathway to job advancement. CCSNH was selected to participate in the AACC’s Expanding Community College Apprenticeship initiative after a competitive application and selection process and will join 100 other US colleges working to increase the number of apprenticeship programs nationally.
Since CCSNH received initial funding from the Department of Labor to kick-start its ApprenticeshipNH program in late 2016, nearly 200 people have enrolled in the program and 31 new programs have been developed across three industries (healthcare, manufacturing, construction, and hospitality). Additional programs are being developed in the information technology sector, and with the receipt of AACC funding will broaden into high-demand industries such as automotive and biotechnology.
Grants will enable ApprenticeshipNH to serve an additional 450 apprentices, up to 750 in total by 2022.
“The goal of ApprenticeshipNH is to help address the workforce needs in New Hampshire by combining classroom instruction and on-the-job training in an earn-while-you-learn model,” said Beth Doiron, director of college access programs for the Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH). “We have learned a lot over the past two years and believe we have refined a model that works for New Hampshire. As a result, we are confident that we can build on our current efforts by creating and expanding apprenticeship programs to provide a career pathway for hundreds more Granite Staters.”
With its original funding from the U.S. Department of Labor, ApprenticeshipNH is on target to serve more than 300 apprentices by the end of its initial performance period which was scheduled to end in October 2020. The additional funds from the Department of Labor and AACC will expand the number of Registered Apprenticeship programs in New Hampshire, with the combined potential to serve up to 750 apprentices in critical workforce sectors by 2022.
ApprenticeshipNH is focused on providing career and education pathways.
To do this, ApprenticeshipNH plans to develop pre-apprenticeship programs that provide foundational skills relevant to the industry and help connect job-seekers to apprenticeship opportunities. ApprenticeshipNH will also develop youth pathways that allow high school students to begin apprenticeship programs and will connect students to employment and continued community college education upon graduation from high school.
“The additional funding will help offset tuition costs for apprentices,” said Doiron. “Most notably, this grant can also provide for supportive services to apprentices, such as childcare and transportation that could act as barriers to success.”
To learn more about ApprenticeshipNH and the grant, contact Emily Zeien at 603-230-3526, ezeien@ccsnh.edu or visit apprenticeshipnh.org.
